Church

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Are you a church person? Do you you like to worship the Lord as often as you can? Are you the type of person that goes to both the morning and evening services? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you may be wrong. If you answered no to any of these questions, then you might also be wrong. Church is not what you think it is. The modern church is nothing like it was intended to be. The modern church is a mockery People participate in mocking God. And they don't even realize it. They have no clue that they are in the "Synagogue of Satan." (Thunder noises here...whooooooo scarrryyyyy) Wha-wha-what?! First of all church is not a building. People say "Oh this is Holy Ground. This building is special." But, there's nothing special about a building. No matter how much you decorate it. No matter how many cute little statues of Mary with baby Jesus you have. No matter how many candles you light. That building is no more special than a restroom at a gas station. A building is just a neatly stacked pile of non living things. Nothing more. "Blasphemous!" No. What's blasphemous is calling yourself a Christian, but living like a Pagan. But we'll get to that. Back to the Church. Let's look at a few verses from the New Testament. Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. This passage (for anyone that doesn't know) is Jesus naming Peter as the leader of his Church. Notice he calls Peter a rock. Is Peter a rock? Not literally. The word here is being used as a mental-visual descriptor. Or symbolism. It describes Peter's unwavering faith. And this is where most people are confused. They take this passage literally, and then call buildings churches. Why is this passage not literal? The ending is your clue. "And the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Hades: hell, torture, judgement, punishment, etc. Can a building go to hell? Can you punish a building or cast judgement on it? No. Of course you can't. Your first clue. On to the next. Matthew 18:15 - 17 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "Tell it to the Church." Can you talk to a building? Can a building talk to you? The passage clearly says to bring your issues to the Church. Do you think that God would have you talk to an inanimate object like one does with an idol? The Bible clearly speaks against idol worship. Your second clue. Acts 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. If Church were a building, then why would Saul need to go from house to house to destroy it? Is it a domino effect? And this is your final clue. So let us review. What could be judged and punished? What can hear and understand your concerns? And why would imprisoning people destroy a Church? People. People are the Church. Specifically followers of the Christ. Christians. Proof? I got it right here: Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Church is Holy Ground. Not the building, but the people. Wherever those people go is Holy ground. Why? Because the Lord is with them. Why is the Lord with them? Good question (just go with it), and it brings us to the part about blasphemy. What is blasphemy? It is an offense against God. And you could be doing it right now. How? By going to a building that you call a Church and reciting random statements out loud, and thinking that somehow you will find salvation gluing your butt to a pew, and listening to some neatly dressed guy drone on and on, you are not participating in Church. What you are doing is making a mockery of Church. People shouting out loud "Praise His name!" It's a mockery. People reciting Bible verses as if repeating them out loud to each other did anything at all. Now, not everyone there is being blasphemous. But most are. Because most have no idea what the purpose of Church is. But have no fear. I will tell you. A Church is not a building. A Church is a gathering of Christians (wherever they are) that are worshiping the Lord God. How is this done? Is it done by repeating over and over Praise Him, Praise Him?" No. Just like repeating "Love them Love them" is not how you love someone. To worship the Lord you must honor him. How do you Honor Him? The same way you would honor your parents. Through actions that reflect the lessons your parents taught you. Have you ever heard anyone say "Praise my mother. Praise my father?" No. It would be ridiculous. So why would you think this mindless action would be good enough for the Lord? What was the lesson Jesus taught? The one thing he said was the most important commandment of all? To love one another. To love someone means to be there for them when they need you. Whether they want you there or not. It means to take care of someone when they are in need without expecting anything in return. It means guiding that person when they need guidance to keep them out of trouble. So again, what is a Church? It is Christians looking out for one another. There are many people out there that meet up in fancy buildings wearing their best clothes singing and dancing with other people, and shouting out loud. People praying "Give us this and give us that, because see, we deserve it. We are your followers." But they are not. And they have never been to Church a day in their lives. The Lord knows his followers. They are the ones that do what He has commanded of them. The ones that love. And then there is someone visiting their fellow brethren in a hospital. Buying a hungry one something to eat. Spending time with a lonely one. Pleading with a stray one. Carrying a weak one. Making sure that everyone is loved. Even if that person has never set foot in a decorated building full of people reciting Bible verses, while wiggling their feet to the beat of the drums playing Hallelujah, that person is a Church person. Why? Because the will of the Lord is being done, and thus He is with them. PS- tithes were never meant for buildings. They are meant for people. Stop giving your money to have some giant gaudy building repainted every week.